I’ve been working in marketing, product and ecommerce roles for 15+ years across small and big companies and I’ve come across many different kinds of managers, leaders and yes – marketing teams and marketing leaders.
There are some employment markets such as the US or Asia where MBAs are important and there’s a big difference in the quality of training within the MBA that one pro may have received in comparison to another. There are other markets such as Australia where professionals have learnt through practise and it’s less structured learning. However irrespective of the market and the qualifications – what really separates a great marketer from the crowd is their ability to empathise with their customer, see the customer’s needs and the potential solution with clarity and then be able to build a bridge or a plan between the customer and the brand.
The bridge has to be between the customer and the brand, not the product. A product has features – which may solve problems, and later on your competitor may have a better product, and you will lose market share.
However a brand has an emotional connection for the customer and that’s what makes the marketer’s segmenting, targeting and positioning work.
Marketing managers therefore need to be able to master the art of connecting with the customer on an emotional level and build brands that resonate – and also be able to adopt a scientific approach to building, testing and refining.
The best marketers are both creative & analytical. They can bring the right tone or emphasis in a video and they can see the data to understand which video worked and which one converts.
A professional marketer is more than a graphic designer or an operations co-ordinator. They understand both user experience and user interface – and they know the difference between good design and really great design work.
A professional marketer is more than a brand manager who throws money at media and hopes that half of it sticks, without knowing which half.
And these days, a professional marketer is a lot more than just a copywriter or an ad creator or a landing page builder – they know enough to get it done, but that’s not what they do.
A professional marketer is able to start with a clear understanding of the market, the consumer, the brand, the product and the company and the marketing problem that’s unique to this combination. They are able to build a strategic plan which combines all the elements required (design, web, media, branding) to deliver stronger market positioning and positive revenue results.
You will know when your consumers are talking about how great your service is (that’s positioning and media delivery) and when your competitors start copying you.
They bring tremendous clarity to the marketing of your business, they bring the voice of the customer into the boardroom – and are able to speak fearlessly as a result.
And they are always able to demonstrate and deliver results.
Empower your marketing leader to be this, or find yourself a marketing leader who is able to deliver.
